Mike Starke

Director of Basketball Sport Performance

Mike Starke was named to the position of director of basketball sport performance on June 16, 2016. He replaces Don Brown, who served in the same role last season.

Starke, who will oversee all strength and conditioning efforts related to men's and women's basketball, including training, nutrition, and recovery needs for the program, was previously at D1 Sports Training Knoxville, where he served as the Head Strength Coach and General Manager of the facility. While at D1, Starke trained athletes including Joe Nathan (MLB) and Wes Roach (PGA).

Prior to D1, Starke was an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Miami University (Ohio). At Miami, Starke was directly responsible for training men's and women's basketball, and assisted with football.

Starke spent two years at the University of Tennessee where he worked for the men's basketball team as a strength and conditioning intern. In Starke's first year with the team, the Vols made a deep run in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16. Starke also served as a graduate assistant and received a Master's of Science degree in Sport Management.

A 2013 graduate of Concordia College, Moorhead (Minn.), Starke received a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science. While at Concordia College, Starke was a three-year starter at wide receiver on the football team. Starke is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and a Level 1 Performance Coach through USA Weightlifting.